BY SILAS NKALA The Anglican Province of Central Africa Church, Diocese of Matabeleland, has accused police of being complicit in invasions at its Cyrene Farm in Figtree and turning a blind eye to acts of vandalism perpetrated by illegal settlers on the ranch. The farm, in Matabeleland South about 40km outside Bulawayo, houses Cyrene Mission which comprises a high school and clinic. Last week, police picked up 10 people who allegedly led invasions on the farm in the past three months, released them without charge and asked the church to wait for a Lands Commission report, the Southern Eye has heard. Anglican officials say they have on numerous occasions approached the police asking for action on the over 500 settlers who are wreaking havoc on the farm, first invaded in 2000 at the height of the land reform programme. Farm workers and the church officials said the settlers had encroached onto school property and were vandalising fencing, destroying vegetation, stealing livestock and panning for gold. On Tuesday, church officials caught a settler cutting down trees and the person informed them that he had been offered the land. 'When we tried to reason with him so that we would go to the police, he ran away and we gave chase, apprehended him and called the police who advised us to bring the person to the station. But he was refusing saying he can't be arrested by povo (ordinary citizens),” an official said. The official said when they took the settler to the police station they discovered that he was a member of the Zimbabwe Republic Police. “The police are involved in that invasion that is why they are dragging their feet in acting on the invaders. That man (they apprehended) is a police officer stationed at the licensing Inspectorate in Bulawayo. So it is true that the police are actually leading, that is why they are dragging feet in executing their duties on that piece of land,' he said. 'We approached some people at the farm and they referred us to their leaders. We challenged the police to arrest the settlers and their leaders. They finally agreed to pick the leaders and return to the farm on Monday (today) to deal with the settlers provided the police superiors would agree to arrest them.' The official said 10 settlers were arrested and taken to Figtree Police Station. 'We are just from the police station and the officer-in-charge said he will refer the matter to the Lands Committee, to confirm if the lands committee gave those people permission to settle on the farm,' the official said. 'The officer-in-charge said for now he was unable to charge them but would ask them to stop visiting the farm, but the dispol visited the station and told him (OIC) in my presence to arrest those people and charge them.' Contacted for comment on Thursday Matabeleland South police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele said the church should secure a court order to evict the settlers. 'What I said still stands, they must get the court order and seek a messenger of court’s assistance to get police help, without that it will